New York Jets coach makes stance on Zach Wilson future clear after loud boos
New York Jets coach Robert Selah leapt to the defence of quarterback Zach Wilson after his latest poor performance.
The second overall pick of the 2021 Draft has endured a difficult start to the new season. He was thrust back into the starting QB role when Aaron Rodgers suffered a torn Achilles in their opening game, which ended his season before it truly began.
Over the course of the first three games, Wilson has the lowest passer rating by a quarterback this season, with a 57.0 rating. His performance in the Jets’ loss to the New England Patriots was a disappointing one. He completed just 50% of his passes for 157 yards with zero touchdowns and zero interceptions.
He was also on the receiving end of three sacks and earned a lackluster 61.9 passer rating. Despite the criticism, coach Saleh stood by the 24-year-old and said he was not responsible for the team’s second successive defeat. “He’s our unquestioned quarterback,” Saleh told reporters. “As long as he continues to show the way his preparation, the way he’s been practicing, and even in these games, he’s not the reason why we lost yesterday.
“It’s always a team effort. As long as he continues to show improvement — and I know it’s not, from a box score standpoint, it’s not showing — he’s going to be our quarterback.” If Wilson’s poor form continues, he will be on track to have the worst three-year stretch by a quarterback in NFL history. He was booed vociferously by the Jets fans as pressure on the player continues to intensify.
Joe Burrow backs Patrick Mahomes after Kansas City Chiefs reach Super Bowl
"Yeah, just frustrating, frustration that we're not moving the ball," Wilson said after the game. "That's what it was. Our defense was stringing together some stops and I felt like it was time to go, time to go, time to put some points on the board. So yeah, just trying to figure out how we can attack."
The Jets failed to win any of the games they played against the Patriots over the last five years, and that streak continued at MetLife Stadium on Sunday. Saleh’s team failed to take advantage a of depleted Patriots lineup that was missing three of its top five cornerbacks. Their offense struggled as they managed a total of just 171 yards and 87 of those came on their lone touchdown drive in the fourth quarter.
Through the first three games of the season, the Jets offense is only averaging 14.0 points and has a total of just 675 yards. In addition to some predictable play-calling, they are struggling to impose themselves at the opposite end of the field. Coach Saleh spread the responsibility around to everyone and stressed the need to fix the team’s slow-starting offence and sluggish first-half defence.
"We've just got to be better," he said. "We've got to be better as coaches to give our guys the opportunity to make plays. We've got to be better as players when we get the opportunity to make those plays. But it's all the way down.
"We've just got to figure out these answers." One of the toughest matches of the Jets’ season will take place in the early hours of October 2 when they host defending champions the Kansas City Chiefs, who thrashed the Chicago Bears 41-10 on Sunday.
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
